


Reassurance

by Lullabymoon



Category: Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, PWP, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn with Feelings, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:53:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25209511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lullabymoon/pseuds/Lullabymoon
Summary: She needs reassurance that he's healed after he jumped on an exploding phaser and nearly died. He's not one to deny her the opportunity.
Relationships: Number One/Christopher Pike
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28





	Reassurance

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this about 2 seconds after _New Eden_ dropped and then life happened so this doesn't take into account either _An Obol for Charon_ or _The Enterprise War_.

The spore jump home is not the most pleasant activity on his ribs, and he’ll gladly take warp drive any day of the week. Thankfully the pain settles back to normal levels once everything stops moving, and he can move his hands from their death grip on the arms of the captain’s chair. 

Everything eases back into normal operations for a starship, and he's relieved to give Mr Saru the conn so he can update Starfleet and finally let loose the wince he’s been holding back. 

The call goes about as well as could be expected when a mission involves the spore drive, general order one and more unexplained red stuff, and he knows these logs are going to be more scrutinised than usual. 

Still, it’s a relief once it’s over, and he shifts into a more comfortable position and loosens the collar of his uniform. He deliberately takes an analgesic before starts the next call. 

It takes a minute for the call to _Enterprise_ to connect, not surprising given the distance and the fact that Una is more than likely overseeing repairs somewhere nowhere near a terminal. 

It’s a relief to see her face when she finally answers. 

"How’s my ship?" He hopes his smile says it’s not just his ship he’s asking after, and he’s rewarded with a small smile before she heads straight into her report. 

He listens carefully but he must move awkwardly as she pauses in the middle of a sentence. 

"What happened?"

He’s almost tempted to downplay it, but she raises an eyebrow and he knows she won’t be fooled. 

"We ended up at a prewarp planet. The landing party and a phaser ended up in the hands of a kid. I took the brunt of a feedback blast. Fortunately, the phasers were set to stun so I made it back to _Discovery_ with time to spare. Ribs are still little busted up though." He glosses over some of the nuance, but there will be time for that later. He can see her eyes widen ever so slightly and speaks before she can. "It was pure instinct jumping in front of the kid, no one from _Enterprise_ would have had a chance of stopping me either." 

He can tell that doesn’t mollify her much, but she just sighs and lets him change the subject.

She still watches him as carefully as she can over subspace while they finish talking about the ship. He manages to distract her a little with several stories of _Discovery_ ’s crew, but the conversation turns personal and she lets the full force of her worry shine through. 

"What did the doctor say?"

He lets out a painful chuckle. "Don’t worry, she went to the same school of bedside manner as Phil. It will heal fine as long as I don’t, and I quote, "do anything so stupid again." Said with a glare Phil would be proud of."

Una lets out a small smile, and the ache in his ribs from laughing seems worth it. 

They don’t linger too much longer, both too aware that this is a professional comm call. He resists the urge to tell her he misses her, hopes instead that the sad smile on his face gets the point across. He knows he's successful when she gives him a similar look in return just before her image fades. 

He leans back in his chair. Mollified or not, she's going to watch him closely the next time she sees him, and he can only imagine the memo she's going to write Saru. 

\---

It takes a whole 5 seconds for her to reach him when the door closes behind the last of the bridge crew. He’s impressed with her restraint given she’s been on board a whole hour and they haven’t so much as brushed fingertips yet. He lets her examine him closely, knowing that it will reassure her more than words will, but his resolve only lasts for a long moment before he gives in and pulls her towards him. His arms slip around her waist as he leans in for a kiss. 

"Completely healed," he whispers against her lips, but he isn’t surprised when her hands run up his sides. "I can show you." He smiles as he slips a hand lower and melds their lower bodies together. 

She lets out a soft sigh against him and looks at him thoughtfully. "Well I do have some time before I need to head back to _Enterprise_." She smiles back and splays her hands wide on his chest. "I even hear you have a nice, wide bed." 

"Oh yeah." His reply gets muffled as he brings her back for a proper kiss. 

His door chimes interrupt them, and it's his turn to let out a sigh. "Enter." They step apart, and she takes a step towards his couch as he turns to face the door. "The door even locks." He can hear her laugh in response, but he straightens his face and tries to hurry the interruption along to an end. 

\--- 

He deliberately doesn't look at her until he reaches the door pad and enters his code to seal it. He doesn’t last the five seconds she did earlier before he reaches out for her, arm heading around her waist to pull her in, and thankfully she starts moving to meet him halfway. 

Her hands no longer reach straight for his sides, instead her arms go up around his neck and he feels the edge of her nails on his scalp as they both lean into the kiss. It deepens quickly, and now there's no risk of someone seeing them, he pulls her flush against him and lets his hands roam from her waist, luxuriating in the feel of her after all this time. 

It's the first time since they started this relationship that they've been apart this long, and he knows it's a test for the future. He pushes the thought to one side though and focuses on the warmth of her body and the way they are both starting to breathe a little raggedly. 

Her fingers tug at his collar and it parts, her mouth immediately following the line of his exposed neck. It distracts him for a moment, the thought of doing the same to her going straight out his head, especially when she gives a nip of her teeth when she reaches the skin below the collar line. The zip parts easily beneath her fingers, and she pushes the jacket down his shoulders like she's on a mission. 

Belatedly it occurs to him that she is, and he stops trying to undo her uniform jacket and lets her slip his off completely. She barely pulls away far enough to tug the undershirt up his body but it's enough for him to see her eyes. Her pupils are wide and her breathing's unsteady with what he knows is arousal, and he loves seeing her like this. 

He's missed her and he pulls her back in for another deep kiss. It doesn't distract her, and her hands don't waver from their mission and run freely up his sides, testing the regrown skin and ribs for herself. The aftereffects of the dermo and osteo regens have passed and the sensation feels entirely normal. It's a good thing too as she runs her nails down the skin and the feeling is electrifying. 

She gasps into the kiss, as if she's finally satisfied that he's fully healed. 

His hands resume their own mission to undo her uniform jacket. "Told you I was fully healed." He barely pulls back from the kiss to get the words out; instead kissing along her jaw line, and god he's forgotten how good she tastes. He finally gets the jacket off her, and he takes advantage of the lower neckline of her undershirt to suck a kiss into the skin over the base of her neck. 

She lets out the quiet little gasp he's missed, and he feels inordinately pleased at the way her fingers stumble over his skin. 

She curls her fingers, nails digging deliciously into the skin just above his ass, and flicks her tongue over the shell of his ear. "Show me," she demands.

She well knows the effect her command voice has on him, especially at this range, and he bites down on her skin in response as his arousal spikes. 

"Oh gladly." He returns to her mouth, his hands under the hem of her shirt as he kisses her deeply again. There are a thousand ways this could go and she's every bit as eager as he is, grinding against him and getting him harder by the minute.

It's been long enough that he wants her naked though, and he slides his hand up her sides, taking the fabric of the shirt up with him. He pulls away long enough to pull the shirt over her head, and as she frees her arms, he sees what she's wearing underneath. 

"Is that new?" The shirt falls to the floor as he stares. 

She laughs at his reaction and pulls him with her as she walks back to the bed. Her knees hit the mattress and she drops down, leaning back on her arms and showing off the decidedly not standard issue bra. 

"I took advantage of being stuck in space dock to do a little shopping." She's smiling wickedly, and he could worry but he knows he'll enjoy whatever it is she has planned. 

He's aware he's staring, but he can't draw his eyes away from the blue satin marvel that he knows is going to occupy his thoughts when she leaves. It's that thought that jolts him back to action again, and he nudges her knees apart so he can kneel on the bed. He braces himself on his hands and leans forward to capture another kiss. 

It takes a lot of effort to keep it teasing, to back and watch her again. "I take it that grin means this wasn't your only purchase?"

She bites his lower lip in response to his teasing. "You'll just have to find out when you get back to _Enterprise_."

She laughs at the sound he makes, and he pushes forward, pressing her into the mattress. Her hands dance over his skin again as she reaches down to his waistband, and he thrusts against her as she undoes his fly. He loses track of his own hands as she slips inside his underwear and cups his erection with one hand and pushing his clothing down his hips with the other. His next breath comes out more like a groan, and it's really been too long since she's touched him like this. 

He thrusts against her, and his trousers fall to his knees at the movement. Her fingers barely pause on his skin before seeking out his ass, and she pulls him in for a sloppy kiss. He feels the material of her uniform as he brushes against her and that definitely needs to go. He shifts and takes his weight on one arm as he slips his free hand between them to undo her fly. There is not a single twinge in his ribs at the motion nor as he thrusts against her lightly again. 

"See?" He doesn’t laugh outright but there is laughter in his tone. She sighs into the kiss and suddenly her hands are helping him wriggle down her trousers. His fingers brush against satin, and as much as he wants to see if she's wearing a matching set, the feel of her naked warmth right next to his cock has him not caring in the slightest. 

She lifts her hips to slip her trousers further down, and he's not sure whose groan of frustration it is when it becomes clear they are going to have to pull apart to take their trousers off completely, or even their boots. He understands why the uniform boots are designed to not just slip off, but at the moment it's an utter inconvenience. 

He's almost ready to give in and pull away when she bends to the side a little, still kissing him, and does something with her hand, and possibly a foot, that pushes her trousers down enough that she can raise her knees without their uniforms getting completely in the way. 

It's enough for now, especially as he's now fully between her bare thighs and his cock is so damn close to her folds. He can feel her warmth against his skin and he jerks his hips, his cock rubbing against her curls, and shit, he's not going to last long. The noise he makes is probably a little desperate sounding, but she arches up to him in response and he doesn’t care. 

She grabs at his ass to pull him flush against her, and he can't help the groan as his cock slides easily through her wet folds. He hears her gasp as she falls back from the kiss and grinds against him, and he can feel her twitch as she rubs her clit on him. 

His head dips at how good it all feels, and her breathing is louder in his ear at this angle. He's close enough to take advantage of her exposed neck, and he sucks as he shifts his knees so he can get a better angle. Suddenly he's sliding into her, and fuck, she must have been wanting this for a while because she takes him in a single thrust and doesn't pause like she does when she's adjusting to the stretch. 

"Fuck, Una," he mutters against her, and her nails dig into his skin, urging him on where he's stopped due the sheer overstimulation of it all. He gets the hint and shifts his hips, unable to stop biting down on her neck at the sensation. He's rewarded with a moan from her, and he stops holding back and just loses himself in her. 

It's not the easiest angle for his wrist when he slips his free hand between them and touches her clit, but given the way they've been going he won't have to hold it for long. He hears her hiss as he applies the pressure he knows she likes. 

She cups the back of his head with one hand as she arches, and everything feels so good. It's not long before he's on the edge of orgasm, and everything reduces to the thrust of his hips against hers and the feeling building within him. 

He can feel her start to twitch around him and that combined with her ragged breathing in his ear is enough to tip him over the edge. He's dimly aware he's still biting down on her neck and barely manages to keep his fingers moving on her clit as he comes. It's a relief when a moment later she clenches around him with her own orgasm, and he lets out a groan as the sensation draws out his pleasure, his hips giving one last twitch as her nails dig into his scalp.

His mind is blissfully blank as he gasps for breath, but he has enough awareness to roll onto his side, taking her with him so he doesn't trap her when he falls boneless against the mattress. They're both breathing heavily, and she feels just as boneless pressed against him. 

They should probably move and disentangle their trousers and wash up, but he's more than happy to just to lie there, face buried in the crook of her neck as he softens inside her and their breathing returns to normal. She's idly running her fingers through his hair, occasionally scratching his scalp, and making no effort to move either so he know she is just as content as he is. He can't help but run his hand up her side, feeling every sweep of skin and revelling in it after being apart. Seeing her on the comm or in his mind's eye is no substitute for the warmth and solidness of her, and though she doesn’t say a word, the way she's curled against him and touching him tells him she feels the same. 

He looks up at her, catches her mouth and kisses her. It's languid, less desperate than before but every bit as affectionate. They slowly pull apart, and he looks up to find the chrono. 

It's not as late as he expected, but then they were quicker in need than they often take. She follows his glance, and he can feel her stretch out against him. 

"We still have plenty of time." She moves to stretch further but their trousers and legs are still tangled together, and they both let out a startled laugh. 

It feels so good to be here laughing and enjoying the afterglow that he doesn’t object too much when she pulls away from him and he slips out of her. She sits up and starts to remove her boots, and he just sits back and watches the way her muscles move. 

He can't help running a hand up her back to feel the movement for himself, and it's worth it for the smile she throws him over her shoulder. He hears two thumps as her boots hit the floor, a softer sound as her trousers join them, and she leans over to pull his off. He lifts each leg in turn to make it easier for her, and it’s a relief to have his legs free of his trousers so he can finally kick them off. 

Now they're both free she turns to look at him, and he loves the mischievous look in her eye. It’s the only warning he gets as she suddenly straddles him, hands on his stomach as she sits on his lap and looks like she's pleased with herself. 

Seeing her relaxed and playful like this is one of his favourite things, something he cherishes as he knows he's one of the few to ever see it. His grin up at her is probably dopey but as he settles his hands on her waist, he can't bring himself to care. 

She lets out a soft laugh and runs her hands up his stomach to his chest. 

"Did I manage to demonstrate my healing to your satisfaction?" He knows he sounds a little pleased with himself. He's rewarded with a roll of her eyes, but she's still smiling so he takes that as a yes. 

They fall into silence again as they take their time this time to let their hands wander over skin, the only noises an occasional sigh or hum of pleasure. His fingers trace the lower edge of her bra, reaching around to run thumbs over the smooth material of the cups. She arches lightly into his touch, and he wishes he was sitting up so he could use his mouth as well as his hands. The view from where he's lying is worth it though, and he knows he's probably on the edge of leering. There's a small trimming of lace along the edge of the cup, and it looks absolutely stunning against her pale skin. It's not something she would normally wear on her clothes, and he loves that she feels comfortable enough to let him see. 

"It really does look amazing on you." He can feel her nipples tightening through the material, and she looks pleased as she smiles down at him. 

"I thought I would give you something to think about while you're here." She leans forward, brushing her lips against his and lightly biting his bottom lip. Her hair is draped half over his face but he doesn't want to stop touching her to move it. He can still breath, still kiss her, so he ignores it. 

"Well, you've definitely succeeded," he chuckles.

She sits up before his hands can move to undo the clasp on her bra, but she settles right over his groin, and he can feel their combined slick where they press together so he doesn't complain. 

She pushes her hair back over her shoulders, and he winces as he catches sight of the newly forming bruise. She must feel the movement because she looks quizzically at him, and he knows he must look sheepish. 

"I'm not sure your collar is high enough to completely cover that mark." 

"Shit." She raises a hand as if to touch it and closes her eyes for a moment. She sighs and looks rueful when she opens them again. "I suppose it's just as well I wore my hair down. That should hide it until I can cover it with make-up." Her smile turns wicked. "I could always return the favour."

He can feel his face flush at the thought of that and she takes pity on him, softly laughing and running her fingers across his skin reassuringly. 

"Don't worry, I'll make sure it's somewhere only you can see."

"I appreciate that. I'm not sure I could handle the looks from the crew here, or their combined curiosity."

Her laugh is louder this time, and he can feel her body shake with it where it's pressed against him. He can feel the slow warmth of arousal start again, less urgent this time, and he's content to stay like this a little longer and let it build.

He lets his hands wander, gently massaging wherever he can reach, and he can feel her arch into his touches as her head falls back. Her hands are all over him as well, nails gently putting pressure on his skin. It feels utterly amazing and he doesn't want it to stop. 

His hands make it up to her bra strap eventually, and this time he heads straight for the clasp and undoes it. She lets out a little sigh, and he gently pushes the straps down off her shoulders. She has to shift hands off him for a moment to take it off completely, but he can’t bring himself to care now that he has the warm weight of her breasts in his hands, and he can feel her nipples puckering tighter as they come into contact with his palms. 

She shifts in his lap at the sensation, and he can feel his cock start to harden again. Her hands feel like they are everywhere; dancing over his chest and stomach, circling his nipples, scraping down his abs, ghosting over his sides, and it feels amazing. He knows he's not the only one affected; as he runs his thumbs over her nipples, as his fingers tease that sensitive spot at her lower back, his hips rocking up against her, she keeps shifting in his lap, little rocking motions that make his cock steadily harder, and he can see the increased rise and fall of her chest as her breathing deepens. 

He can tell she's in that same blissed out space he is: aroused and wanting but not too urgent, and happy to just feel and let it build. The only thing that could be better is if he was kissing her as well but that's easy to remedy. 

She lets out a small laugh as he tugs her down towards him, and she moves with him, her hands landing beside his shoulders and taking most of her weight. He brushes her hair to the side with a free hand, his fingers lingering over her neck while she wriggles and adjusts slightly. 

He can feel her nipples hot on his chest now that her breasts press against him, and he lets out a happy sigh before he kisses her. It's easy to fall into the sensations again, deep open-mouthed kisses, hands touching every bit of skin that they can reach, and he loses track of how long passes before he notices they are both breathing heavily and she's every bit as aroused as he his. His cock twitches where it's trapped between them, and a look at her face shows her widened pupils and flushed skin. She looks happy and beautiful, and he still can't believe his luck. 

She rises to her hands and knees, head dropping down to kiss his jaw, trailing down his neck and biting down on his collarbone. She kisses and sucks, and he knows she's making good on her earlier promise. He moans at the feeling, and the thought of how it's going to feel beneath his uniform, and he tilts his head to give her easier access. 

He can feel her laugh against his skin but she stops when he slips a hand between her legs, fingers gliding through her folds and stroking everywhere but her clit. She tries to get him to hit the right spot but he keeps moving and instead circles around her entrance and dips a fingertip into her wetness. She finally stills but he can feel her forehead rest against his neck, tongue flicking out, and he knows she's just waiting him out. 

His cock has enough space to stand at attention now and while it feels good, he misses the feel of her skin pressing against him. He circles one last time before he slips one, two fingers fully inside her. He can feel she's more than ready, especially as she squeezes around his fingers and lets out an impatient huff. He can't resist the urge to curl his fingers teasingly inside her, and she bites down again in retaliation. 

He's not sure which one of them laughs first but they're both laughing again, and he uses his other hand to tilt her chin back up to kiss her. The kiss swallows the last of the laughter though he can still feel the vibrations run through her. 

He pulls his fingers out and uses that hand to line his cock up with her entrance, and she shifts her weight onto one hand. Her fingers curl around his as he thrusts up, and she lowers her thighs and he slowly slides into her. It's a lot less urgent than before but no less amazing, and he's not sure which of them is sighing at the sensation. 

She gives an experimental rock forward, her nipples brushing against his chest at the movement. He can explore the expanse of her back in this position, kiss the skin beneath her ear, something he takes advantage of as she rocks backwards again. It must allow his cock to hit her in a good spot because she sighs again and lets her head drop against his shoulder.

He lets her revel in it before he shifts and gives a small thrust upwards with his hips. He can hear her hiss and feel the little twitch she gives, and his cock can't help but react. He reaches out to grab her now free hand and her fingers automatically intertwine with his, and it's one of those moments when his love for her feels like it's going to overwhelm him. He doesn't say anything but squeezes her hand and brings it to rest over his heart. 

She lifts her head to look at him, and her smile is soft and her expression just adds to the feeling. She squeezes his hand back and leans down for another kiss. He welcomes it, and it's as slow and gentle as their rocking motions and it feels fucking perfect. 

He tugs her down so her weight is fully on him and he can enjoy the press of their upper bodies together. The position only really allows for shallow thrusts, but the fact she's nearly the same height as him means he can keep kissing her without getting a crick in his neck and that feels more important at the moment. 

She feels so warm against him and he tries not to think of how he's missed this, missed her, and instead focus on the feel of her as they grind slowly together, their kiss slow and deep.

She pulls her hand free from where it's trapped between them, and he misses the twine of their fingers but he doesn’t mind so much when she trails both hands down his sides. Her fingers seem everywhere, and he knows she's enjoying the feel of him as much as he's enjoying her. 

He cups the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her hair and pulling her in tight for a moment before teasing his way down her neck and tracing his own patterns on the skin of her back. 

She shivers against him, and he deliberately lightens his touch to hear her gasp as he brushes over a sensitive spot, repeating the motion as she flutters around his cock. 

It's his turn to gasp, especially as she digs her nails into his skin, and he knows he's going to feel that for the rest of the day. 

He's not sure which one of them speeds up first but regardless he can feel his orgasm get closer, and given her breathing is getting even more ragged he can tell hers is approaching as well. He groans and cups her ass with one hand to hold her tighter, get a little more friction to his thrusts. 

She lets go of his shoulders to brace herself again and the shift in weight means her breasts no longer press as tightly against his chest. The change in pressure means they move with her thrusts and her nipples rub on his chest, and she lets out a delightful little sigh at the friction. 

Fuck, the friction feels amazing on his skin too. 

His orgasm continues to build but he wants to feel her as she comes around him, let her pull him over the edge. Thrusting alone isn't usually enough for her the second time around so he slides one hand between them and into the wetness where they're joined. He doesn't try to twist his wrist this time but bends his middle finger so the knuckle is resting against her clit. 

She easily glides over the knuckle as she rocks and she full out moans. He lets her set her own pace and pressure, and it's incredibly hot watching and feeling her using him to chase her orgasm. He's sure his other hand is going to leave red marks with how hard he's holding her against him but he can't help himself, and she doesn't seem to mind. The kiss becomes a little more desperate on both their parts until she stills as she comes, the sensations finally enough for her.

Her orgasm is gentler this time but he can still feel her spasm around his cock and her breathing stutter into their kiss. It's enough to tip him over the edge, and he follows her through, her aftershocks enhancing and prolonging his orgasm. 

She goes as boneless as he feels, and her head falls to the side where he can feel her uneven breath against his neck. He knows his breath is just as uneven, but he's too blissed out to care or do anything other than keep holding her and enjoy the afterglow. 

Slowly he becomes aware his hand is still between them, still coated in their wetness and he can't help himself. He slowly pulls it out and up to his face, and she turns her head to watch him properly. She smiles softly at him and he can see the exact moment she realises what he's going to do as her eyes widen. 

He keeps eye contact with her as he slowly licks the first finger, can't help the wicked smile around the finger as he makes an appreciative hum. She takes a deep breath when he sucks a second into his mouth, and he can see a blush start to form on her cheeks. 

She lets out a little huff of laughter and shakes her head. "You're incorrigible."

He laughs and steals a brief kiss. "Well, I had to taste you somehow." He reaches for another kiss, squeezes her ass where his other hand is still lying. "Don't have time to go down on you properly."

Her eyes flutter close and she sighs. "Next time. We'll take some leave, and we can take our time and won't have to move afterwards." 

He chuckles. "I'll hold you to that." He watches the smile spread across her face, and she shifts as if stretching or trying to snuggle deeper against him. 

A chime from somewhere in the room pulls his attention away from her, and he guesses it's hers from the way she groans into his shoulder.

"That's my 20-minute reminder for my next meeting." She opens her eyes and looks grumpy in a way that's adorable when it's not aimed at him. 

"Should I consider it a compliment I can distract you enough to need a reminder for once?" He knows he's grinning widely.

She pushes up and back so her weight is on her knees straddling him and swats him half-heartedly. Anything else she's going to say is cut off by another chime. "I better find where I dropped it earlier otherwise it will keep chiming."

He sighs at the loss of full body contact. "Yeah," he gives one last squeeze and manages to avoid pulling her back as she climbs off him. She gives him a brief smile and runs a hand along his wrist, and he knows she feels the same. 

He props himself up on his elbows to watch and admire the view as she searches for her padd and picks up her clothes as she goes. She finds it right next to the door, not surprising given how quickly they reached for each other earlier. 

She can obviously feel him watching as she practically saunters towards the head, and she looks at him over her shoulder with a smirk before she disappears. 

He drops back down and runs a hand over his face. He should clean up as well, but if he gets up just now, he'll only end up distracting them both and making her late. Instead, he listens to her moving about, revelling in the sounds of normal domesticity that he has missed since he came aboard _Discovery_. 

It's not long before she reappears, jacket open but otherwise completely put together and looking impressive as always. It’s marred only by the slight frown as she zips up and looks at her reflection. 

He wraps the sheet around his hips before he stands, tucking it in as he walks towards her. He watches as she rearranges her hair, making sure no mark is visible. She turns to him, and he smiles at her unasked question. 

"Can't see it." 

Her face finally relaxes. "Good. I just need to not touch my hair until I get back to my quarters."

There's nothing he can say at this point that won't sound stupid so he just stays quiet and smiles at her. 

She returns it for a brief moment before she turns serious. "Please don't do anything too life-threatening while you're here." She reaches out and touches his bare chest, and her expression softens. "I don't like worrying about you when I can't do anything about it."

He feels guilt squirm in his stomach. "I know, and I'm sorry." He sighs. "I'll try not to do anything rash but I can't promise anything else." He can hear her deep breath. 

"I know." She gives a little half-smile, and he has to kiss it away. 

It's light and they're not touching anywhere else, but it's clearly enough to ground her as when she pulls away her smile is lighter and her sigh not so resigned. "I'll keep sending the updates." Her smile turns into a grin. "Maybe you could answer the comm like this." She flicks her eyes down over him, and he's painfully aware he's naked apart from the sheet. He can't resist the chance to flirt back though. 

"Maybe I will." He raises an eyebrow and lets his grin turn wicked.

She lets out a pleased hum and gives another lingering look. 

He wants nothing more than to keep basking in that look, but he knows they can't drag out this goodbye much longer. 

"You manage to find your way back to the transporter room?" He asks with as light at tone as he can manage. 

She full out laughs and swats at him with her free hand. "Go clean up before your crew starts wondering where you are."

"Yes, Ma'am," he can't resist firing back, and he grabs one last brief kiss before he brushes past her into the head. It's hard enough to know she's going without watching her walk out the door so he deliberately doesn’t. That doesn't stop the sigh escaping when he hears her leave though, and suddenly his new quarters seem lonelier. 

He lets his eyes fall closed and forces himself to take a deep breath. He needs to go back on duty so he pushes the thoughts aside and tries to be thankful they got their short time together at all. 

He just reminds himself that thinking of their next meeting will give him something to look forward to.


End file.
